The Ministry of Sports has admitted that the Talanta App launched by President William Ruto is unavailable on online platforms following the disbandment of the Talanta Hela Committee in June this year.
Speaking to Kenyans.co.ke on Tuesday, August 22, the Ministry's head of communication, Pauline Sheghu, noted that app was being worked on by part of the Talanta Hela Committee before its dissolution.
She clarified that the app, which Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba initiated, would be operational once the committee is reconstituted to complete its tasks.
"Most of the people who were working on the app were part of the committee. So the app was put on hold as the CS keeps the house in order," Sheghu, a corporate communication and marketing expert, explained.
"We cannot just launch something. Then it does not work. That puts the President in an awkward situation," she added.
Nonetheless, Sheghu conveyed that the Talanta Hela programme was actively ongoing in the counties, with the Ministry of Sports committed to monitoring and developing talents across the country.
"We are currently going to the counties physically so that we don't waste talent. Some people are in the interior parts of the country, and they do have online platforms. So physically showcasing their talent is better for them," Sheghu, a former Kenya Broadcasting Corporation journalist, added.
The Talanta Hela app was launched on June 9 to connect Kenyans skilled in sports and other creatives to potential sponsors. The app also aims at helping coaches to identify talents across the country.
During the June launch, Ruto noted that the app would revolutionalize the creative industry underlining its benefits of training and mentoring the youth.
Sheghu issued the statement and clarification hours after Gladys Shollei, Uasin Gishu woman representative and Deputy Speaker, voiced her frustration regarding the absence of the app. Her concerns extended to the management of the Sports docket, which she argued was poor and unsatisfactory.
A spot check by Kenyans.co.ke also revealed that the platform was inaccessible on Google Play Store and Apple Store as alleged by Shollei.
"Our team that went to Tunisia for the games were wearing fake Adidas sports shoes from River Road in Nairobi. The team that went to Tobago was also wearing fake uniforms. By the time a country reaches a point where our athletes are wearing fake uniforms, it means that there is something wrong with the management of sports," she stated.
The Ministry of Sports, however, also refuted the allegations and clarified that it has an existing partnership with Nike and not Adidas as alleged.
"Team Kenya has never worn Adidas. They are branded by Nike. It is not the CS who brands them," Sheghu watered down Shollei's claims.
